DUNCANVILLE, Texas – The adidas Gauntlet Dallas wrapped up on Sunday. With that, two more events in the Gauntlet series remain leading into the adidas Super 64 in July. This turned out to be a fine day for underclassmen, as they stood out more as a whole than their older counterparts.
Playoff rounds and championship games were played in the 16-under and 15-under age groups as well. In the 16-under final, Virginia-based Team Loaded got off to a fast start and never looked back en route to a 72-46 win over Las Vegas-based Dream Vision. Compton Magic won the 15-under with a 70-54 win over Indiana Elite.
Now, a look at some notable players on Sunday, starting once more with the upperclassmen. Coming up later will be some final thoughts and notes on the event.
Deng Adel (6’7″ Jr. SF, Bradenton (FL) Victory Rock Prep) On a team full of prospects, he might be the best of them and his body isn’t done maturing yet. He’s athletic and needs to get stronger, and showed some good skills from range on his jumper to his ability to drive, while also getting a big offensive rebound and then free throws late.
Rawle Alkins (6’4″ So. SG, Middle Village (NY) Christ The King HS) Well-built forward is a plus athlete who constantly attacked offensively in a nice win for his team to start the day. While he has range out to the three-point line, he more often preferred to go to the basket, where he finished well including with contact.
Nyheem Atkins (6’7″ Sr. SF-PF, Brooklyn (NY) William Grady HS) An athletic forward with a good frame and some length, he has some long strides even with the ball that give him an advantage. Though he was in a lot of plays, he appeared to be affected by contact, which should be better with added strength. He made a couple of nice passes, including a long lead pass, and wasn’t afraid to use his left (off) hand.
Donovan Hale (6’5″ Jr. SF, Largo (FL) High) An athletic guard with a slight frame, he looks to be the scorer-not-shooter type, as he rarely looked to shoot. Instead, he drove often and very effectively, finishing often including once with a nice spin move.
Isaiah Martin (6’11” Sr. C, Denver (CO) Montbello HS) He didn’t show much in a morning game, partly from a lack of touches, but he’s intriguing since he is long, has a good frame and is baby-faced. It’s clear his body isn’t done developing, and he wasn’t out of his league while on the court, so someone is sure to take a flyer on him given his size.
Brayan Morales (6’2″ Sr. PG-SG, Davenport (FL) Haines City HS) This quick left-handed guard drove inside all day, and he wasn’t deterred from dealing with the bigger players. Besides getting chances at the basket and finishing a few of them, he also got a stickback in the mix.
John Reyes (6’10” Jr. C, Lawrenceville (GA) Kingdon Prep Christian Academy) Long post player has a good frame and has already filled out a little. A plus athlete, he didn’t impact the game much offensively but was a presence inside, and with his physical gifts that’s an easy way for him to impact the game right now.
Sammis Reyes (6’6″ Sr. PF, Boca Raton (FL) North Broward Prep School) An undersized power forward with a wide body, he can be a bull inside and at times was unstoppable in one game. Not all of his weight is good weight, but he’s not a bad athlete and is aggressive on offense, where he finished well even through contact.
Marcus Sheffield, Jr. (6’6″ Jr. SF, Alpharetta (GA) Chattahoochee HS) A baby physically, this athletic wing was perhaps the most impressive player on a team with more hyped players. He has the frame to carry a little more good weight, and he drove effectively and was able to finish while fouled.
Caleb Tanner (6’0″ So. PG-SG, Pike Floyd (VA) Massanutten Military Academy) He’s a skinny guard with a good frame, but the biggest thing about him is his shooting, and on Sunday in a blowout for his team he simply couldn’t miss from long range.
Underclassmen
Brendan Bailey (6’7″ So. SF, Las Vegas (NV) American Fork HS) Long and a baby physically, his team struggled early in the 16-under final but he’ll catch your eye right away. He’s athletic and looks like he can shoot the ball some, and his size translates into the wing position very well.
Keon Clergeot (6’1″ So. PG, Auburndale (FL) High) Small point guard has a motor that’s always running, and impressed in that manner. He can get to the basket some, where one time he finished over his man while getting fouled, and hit from long range once although that doesn’t appear to be his forte.
Zach Collins (6’10” So. PF-C, Las Vegas (NV) Bishop Gorman HS) Promising post player was overshadowed and clearly outplayed by an opponent, but there are things to like. He has a good frame that will fill out more and he needs to get stronger, and he isn’t afraid to use his left (off) hand and hit from mid-range, suggesting he could be something of a stretch power forward.
Deron Davis (6’10” So. C, Aurora (CO) Overland HS) One of the best post prospects here, he has a good body and is very mobile inside. He showed that with some nice post moves, as well as a couple of times where he used one dribble to get a chance at the basket from facing up. For good measure, he also hit from the elbow and showed a good stroke at the foul line.
Jalyn Jarrett (5’7″ So. PG, Petersburg (VA) Dinwiddie HS) A waterbug point guard, he has a slight frame but showed he can get to the basket when he wants to. He’ll be worth watching to see how he develops as a floor leader and in some different types of games, as in the first half of the 16-under final his team had lots of transition opportunities.
Javin Montgomery-Delaurier (6’8″ So. PF, Shipman (VA) St. Anne’s-Belfield School) For the first half of the 16-under championship game, he was clearly the best player on the floor, as he was in seemingly every play. Long and athletic, he has a good frame that will fill out more, and he owned the boards. In addition, he blocked shots, made a steal and downcourt pass leading to a layup, got a stickback and hit a jumper from the foul line.
Colin Smith (6’11” So. PF-C, Jacksonville (FL) Bolles School) While listed as a small forward and attempting to play the perimeter, he seems to have a ways to go for the wing. He has a good frame and his body has a ways to go, and while he showed a hint of ball skills it was only that. Also of concern is that he doesn’t get much lift on his jumper. There is potential here, but the question is what position he will round into later on.
